Monday, January 12, 2015

A few of my favorite things ~ 2014


This past summer I made a vlog about my favorite cruelty free and organic products that I discovered in 2014. I also just so happened to take a few pictures of them for a blog post and completely forgot. At first I thought I could never post this but then I thought to myself, maybe it would be cool to start the new year with a post about the products that were great last year. 
Of course, I already have a list of new products for 2015. I'm always trying out new stuff, but I'd like to go a bit more in depth with how awesome these products are.  
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To begin, this is a handmade and all natural shampoo and conditioner made by Good4you Herbals. The ingredients are amazing, a few of my favorites being stinging nettle leaf (which has SO many benefits, one especially being for hair growth), tea tree oil (which is EXCELLENT for your scalp) and Horsetail (which is another great herb for hair growth and strengthening). Although these products are more watery than thick, I found they work really well when I mix them in with my normal shampoo and conditioner (for extra benefits)! They smell amazing and your scalp will thank you forever for being so good to it.

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My next favorite product is this delicious coconut body butter by The Body Shop. For the longest time I had not a clue that this company was cruelty free and I always avoided them. One year I got this as a gift and I was way too nervous to use it so it just sat in my room forever. One day I was looking up some new cruelty free companies to explore and they came up! So I gave my gift from years ago a try and I LOVE it. I usually do not enjoy using body lotion because I feel all slimy afterwards, but this stuff is literally like butter minus the grease and the weird smell. It's really fun to use and smells so good I might accidentally eat it one day.


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This next product I was so eager to try. I've seen LimeCrime literally everywhere and that's how I learned that they make lipsticks in just about every color on the spectrum. Around this time I was also looking for some solid and reliable lip stains, so when I learned that their Velvetines were lipstains and they were coming out with this gorgeous dark brown shade called "Salem", those were just too many pluses to ignore and I knew I had to buy it. It's a little pricey, but nothing out of the ordinary from Sephora prices and it's so worth every cent. It's super long lasting, the color is magnificent and it also smells good which is always a plus in my book. If you're looking for a good lip stain, look no further and click the link above, you won't regret it. (I'm wearing it in the first photo of this post)


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This is another fun make-up brand I found whilst in Sephora one day called Illamasqua. They also have a lot of funky colors. I saw this purple and it was love at first sight. All of these wonderful ideas flashed through my mind as I picked up this single tube of lipstick. It was destiny. It applies great and it's just super fun as lipstick should be! I have done some photoshoots with it if you'd like to see what it looks like applied: here and here ;) I have yet to try any of their other products but 2015 will definitely be the year to try them. 


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So I have a lot to say about the magically wonderful products I've bought from Lush the last year and some change. I'm using this photo because I forgot to get a photo of my favorite cleanser alone, so I will tell you about it right here. Angels on Bare skin is a delicate mix of lavender, almonds and other natural ingredients to make a very gentle and aromatic cleanse for sensitive skin. I love using this one in the colder season since my skin becomes extra sensitive. The overall experience using Angels on Bare skin on your face is worth a try. I always feel so calm and clean afterwards. I highly recommend trying this product if you have sensitive skin. 


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Here we have Herbalism, another cleanser by Lush Cosmetics that specializes in blemished skin. I blemish a lot and this one absolutely works magic on troubled skin. Herbalism has gentle acne fighting ingredients like nettle, rosemary, almonds and rice vinegar that leaves your face feeling cleaner and refreshed. I definitely see a difference in my skin if I'm breaking out fast and it never burns like some acne cleansers do. I like using this one in the warmer weather when I tend to break out and blemish. Sometimes I like to combine it with Angels on Bare Skin in the colder weather when I need the extra benefit. I love these cleansers because they are in the form of a crumbly clay. All you need to do is mix some water in with a small amount of the desired cleanser and it's ready to apply on your face. It's so amazing and they really work. I recommend giving any of them a try if you haven't already. 
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Lush really has everything you need ranging from face products to hair to bath time fun to make-up. I use it all, trust me! This one product made a huge impact in my daily facial routine. In the past, I was never able to use a moisturizer that didn't burn my skin or cause a weird reaction on my face. I never had a severe reaction to them but it moisturizers always seemed to cause me discomfort until I tried this one in a Lush store one day and I've been using it non-stop ever since. It's the best moisturizer I've ever used. My skin always feels soft, it makes my skin tone look even and great and it never burns me, ever. This has been the missing link all of my life to a happy complexion. Not only is it super effective but it smells like the yummy ingredients in it such as vanilla water, almond oil, almond milk and cocoa butter. It's perfect and if you've been reading this blog post and feel like you may have a similar skin type as myself, this product might be what you need. I recommend it to all of my friends and family and I've gotten a lot of them hooked just like me. 


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The last product I would like to mention in my list of favorites, is the best acne treatment I've ever used and of course it's by Lush Cosmetics. Grease Lightening is amazing and infused with some of my all time favorite natural remedies for pimples. This gel like spot treatment has fresh ingredients including thyme, rosemary and tea tree infusion, aloe vera extract, and witch hazel extract that really cleanse a specific spot, sterilizes it and make all your acne troubles go away. This is something I've been sure to have always throughout the year because it has helped me clear my stressed out skin so much and has made a big difference in the overall health of my skin.
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Those are my favorite cruelty free and organic products of this past year. I definitely did a lot of exploring with all kinds of brands and products and it's always satisfying to find a brand that has everything you need and works tremendously. Of course that can get boring sometimes which is why I explore and share my findings with all who wish to know. I hope you found this helpful and I hope to hear from anyone reading this. What was your top 3 products this past year and why? Were there any products you absolutely hated? 

Cheers~

(All photos taken with a Canon EOS 6D and a 50mm f/1.8 lens)